Sharon, you mentioned Ponys.I can't think of a peony, without my earliest child memory comming into play.
I grew up in N.C, near winston salem, and my dad worked for one of the "robber barrens ", that owned a large spread, and heavy influence from the Tobacco, and textiles industries, in the area.There was a large number of Germans, that were captured in north Africa, and sent to WS to work the textile, and Tobacco industries. Being the influentioul barron my dads boss was, he managed to get a fair number of POWs to work the farm we lived on.
It was here, that one of the POWs, sat down with me, a little boy, and tell me the complete history of the peony, and I managed to keep that in my heart, and later was able to dig, and save the peony, in question, and have it on my place, here in Ga., and still can remember the valuable lesson taught.Mike
